1. Technical Field
The invention is related to providing location-based services (LBS), and in particular, to a system for providing locally relevant information, services, and relative mapping, to one or more user devices as a function of approximate user device positions relative to a dynamic database of geographic points of interest.
2. Related Art
Many GPS-type location identification devices provide the user with a map of the locality surrounding the device. For example, conventional handheld GPS-type devices typically provide a graphical and/or textual street map to the user based on predefined maps accessible to the device as a function of a present location determined by the device.
Unfortunately, devices with integral location finding capability (including satellite-based navigation systems such as GPS, the European “Galileo” system, the Russian “Glonass” system, etc.) tend to be relatively expensive, and typically require a large amount of storage space to maintain a set of local maps, or significant bandwidth capability for downloading current maps, if available. Further, because the maps provided with integral location finding capability are generally predefined, locally relevant information may not be available to the user with respect to recent changes in that information. In addition, satellite-based navigation systems tend to work poorly, if at all, either indoors or in “urban canyons” where the user is surrounded by many tall buildings.
In addition, there are a number of network-based mapping tools available. Network-based mapping tools generally provide the user with on-demand textual or graphical maps of user specified locations. Further, several related systems provide the user with on-demand maps of automatically determined device locations. Automatic determination of location is typically based conventional positioning technology such as satellite navigation (GPS, Galileo, Glonass, etc.) or as some function of WiFi mapping, GSM-based cell signal mapping, RFID tracking, etc. For example, typical cell phones can be rapidly tracked by using signal triangulation from nearby cell towers to pinpoint the location of the phone (and thus the user carrying the phone) to within around 50 meters. Similarly, WiFi mapping generally locates a user by evaluating signal samples from multiple access points.
Conventional location-based services (LBS) leverage conventional positioning technology, such as the techniques described above, to provide personalized, location-based information to individual users as a function of their approximate location. Once an approximate user location is known, location-specific information is then either pulled or pushed to local user devices depending upon the location model being used. Examples of location-specific information include, for example, navigation assistance, locations of particular businesses or business types, people (i.e., “social networking”), restaurants, gas stations, etc. Additional examples include “wireless advertising” that is used to provide user devices with information such as “electronic coupons” or special discounts for business entities located near the user.